For Family or for Friends
by Jirachi101
Summary: Hyrule and Termina are about to battle a war so bloody, it'll put Ganon to shame. Link is unable to decide which side of the carnage he should support, when he knows he doesn't want to fight. Post WW and PH, contains elements from other games.
1. The bloodshed begins

Link POV

Link POV

How had this all happened?

When did it start?

What am I supposed to do about it?

I direct my questions to the sky, where the supposed 3 goddesses have found a home in. As usual, I receive no answer. The sky mocks me with it's a brilliant shade of blue and few innocent looking clouds. Even as I stand here, I imagine what it's like in Termina right now. The sky couldn't possibly be as forgiving as it is now compared to where it is there. Today was the first day of the rest of everyone's life. The royal family had done the unspeakable; no one had foreseen it coming. As I listen now, I can hear the screams and cries of agony of the slaughtered, carried by Farore's wind, the casualties of an unexpected assault. As I stand upon Windfall Mountain, I can only be haunted by my memories of what this place once was. Upon the cliff I sit at is a stone, long forgotten and unpolished for years, no one could possibly read it as it is now. Even while I know he isn't there, I see the strangely dressed man, dancing as he tries to change day to night to no avail. These are the ruins of a once great town; I remember everything about it from childhood. Few find the great hikes up these mountains not worth being reminded about the past. Instead, people have become too infatuated with the present to care about what once was. I never would have that that I'd be the only one to be drawn to these islands, or mountains as they are now. The temperature had risen as if Din herself had turned on the heavenly heater. The impossible had happened; the oceans seem to have devoured themselves. With the promise of land and undiscovered riches within the ruins of the past, people had abandoned their homes on these humble little islands, intent on becoming a greater civilization.

What happened to Hyrule was nothing compared to what happened to the islands that the ghost ship once haunted. They finally discovered what their land was called before the flood. The Terminians were proud and happy to belong to a nation again. Hyrule and Termina had bonded, becoming the best of allies. It was nice to visit the friends I had thought I had lost before, pay gratitude to the Ocean King for watching over me, and recall the past. But the drought was unforgiving. Never before had the people even thought of salvaging water, there was always plenty around. Termina needed water desperately, and they set their eyes on what remained of the great ocean, Lake Hylia. Hyrule was not about to let foreigners abuse its great lake. Things had only gone downhill from there. It had started with negotiation attempts, which became harsher, more desperate. Then there were threats. Yet still, Hyrule had made the first move. They had invaded, killed, murdered. Termina no longer respected Hyrule, respected me, for ridding it of the ghost ship. I would never be able to see the Ocean King like this again. I had debated it with Tetra afterword, but she wasn't willing to share anything with me.

It left me where I am now, I had come to Windfall Mountain seeking time where I could be alone and meditative. I may have been skilled enough to defeat the king of darkness, yet I couldn't possibly kill Terminians, for no matter what they did, they were people I knew. They were still my friends. But Hyrule was my family. I am one of the greatest warriors that Hyrule and Termina have ever known, so I'll be forced to fight in this war. Should I choose to fight for my friends, who are in the right, or my home, which I'm having moral dilemmas about?

I only know one thing, I hope Din's Fire burns me to ashes before I have to choose.


	2. Taking Sides

A/N If your wondering how old these guys are, wait a bit since I haven't gotten that far either

A/N If your wondering how old these guys are, wait a bit since I haven't gotten that far either

"I've asked you several times, and you've been unresponsive."

"As I've told you, I need time to think."

Link could feel his patience ebbing away, utterly depressed that he might have to take part in a deadly skirmish against his friends, he was not in the mood to play these little games with Zil. Before, the two had never disagreed on anything, for Zil would usually follow through for Link and agree with him. Now, Zil was determined to defend his home with his friends. He couldn't see why Link didn't want to get dragged into the battles. Everyone in Hyrule loved the Hero of Time, some even worshipped him, believing that he watched over Hyrule along with the 3 goddesses. All followed him, yet they couldn't have been farther from him.

Link knew what it felt like to be the hero, at first; he'd only learned to use a blade for self defense. When his great adventure established his position as Hero of Winds, people flocked to his causes, and obeyed his will. What they didn't know, was that the Heroes that they imagined to be immune to fear and mercy, fought only because they had too. If the hero quit fighting, his people would become lost. Every kill would bring guilt to Link, no matter how evil or mad his foe was. If they hadn't, he wouldn't have considered himself worthy of being a hero. He hated fighting, yet it still had become routine.

A hero had to kind and ruthless, mild in thought and insane in battle. It should have been enough to drive anyone beyond sanity or reason. Sometimes, Link actually feared that his mind had already been lost long ago, and his mind was denying the possibility that it was screwed up. But if he was insane then his mind shouldn't be functioning well enough to comprehend all that he was thinking, yet he couldn't remove the chance that all this "reason" was only in his head…

No matter, insane or not, he had an important choice to make. Tomorrow, Zil and Joel would sail off and apply for militia services, something that all people of who had enough youth left in them now found popular. Abe had stated how it would be a fun trip, with the trio of boys sailing toward a brand new adventure.

Link POV

**Trio…** By then, I had been pretty sure that I wanted no part in this, but if the best friends I had made in my childhood were willing to give their lives to this cause, I couldn't refuse. By the will of Din's Fire, I sure didn't want to see them get killed by my other friends. This brought a new thought, what if they killed the Terminians? A large part of me wanted to release the new horses that we had purchased to travel to the capitol. The worst thing was that I believed that it would be the right thing to do. It would save the lives of the two boys and a few Terminians, but there wouldn't be a point if the kid's hearts were crushed by my betrayal. And then I'd be putting more pressure on Tetra to raise that new army she needs.

I found myself at the Hero of Time's grave, or patch of ground that is rumored to be the place he died to be more specific. It's believed that this place was once a mighty forest filled with sacred children, but when the floods began to arrive, they had refused to leave their homes, and suffered their tragic fates. Now barely anything is left, there is evidence of vegetation, but it now crumbles if touched. It's been soaked for so long that toddlers are now able to bend discarded branches as they play with them. Having suffered similar fates, I visit this place the Hero called home often. I wonder what the Hero would have done had he been in my place, and forced to battle "allies".

Even after all the doubt I have gone through, I still find myself riding with my friends. Horses are expensive, since before the drought, we never really had much of a need for them. There isn't a single moment in which I don't long for the wind in my face as I sailed across endless oceans, stole from the nasty, and aided the helpless. The spray of the sea whisking into my face, as my deft fingers managed the sail to avoid jagged rocks and other potential threats to my vessel. Even while sailing with Linebeck in his motor powered ship, the thrill of using a canon to ward off enemies, the power to defeat my foes. I remember my guide… who gave his life to ensure that Hyrule's fate would be a happy one, who probably expected me to do whatever possible to defend Hyrule. I remembered my fairy, who was faithfully loyal and obeyed my every command, who would be against me if I fought for Hyrule in this upcoming war.

It was depressing, really, the fact that all I loved would soon be lost. Whichever side won would never be the same, with the casualties and people who learn the true terror of war. I glance to my left, where Joel and Zil are busy talking and boasting about how many Terminians they can kill. It makes my blood chill, to see people talk about death and see it as if it's done for a good cause. I turn my head upon the heavens, which ironically shows dark and ominous clouds. I pray for Zil, Aryll, Joel, Linebeck, and everyone. Lastly, I utter a silent prayer for myself.

"Goddesses, I humbly beg upon you to forgive me if I am to betray you."


	3. No one's Immortal

A/N Thanks H-Bomber for your review and suggestion

The first action scene I'm ever going to write. I'll need advice on how to make it better. Also, I'm just going to guess that Link is around 18 by this time, and Zil and Joel are 16 (Tetra must be desperate for that army).

As the unforgiving rays from the burning inferno we call the sun grew warmer and more intense, so did the chance of our horses collapsing bellow us. I'd mentioned the drought before, hadn't I? Perhaps I should tell you just how terrible it is. The Great Sea had been humongous when I'd been growing up, and no one expected it to disappear so quickly. . In the span of a few meager years, the Great Sea had evaporated by the power of the sun itself. What was worst was that none of the burning heat from before had even let up. Other than the area around Lake Hylia, all the land of Hyrule symbolized what Gerudo Desert had been many years ago. We decided to spend the noon somewhere before we all got heatstroke.

By looking around the surrounding mountains, I could only guess that we were somewhere near that old Oasis I had. It meant that we had only to travel northward to get to the capitol, located directly between Dragon Roost and Windfall Mountain. None of us were in a well enough condition to climb to my place, so we had no choice but to visit the good old tower of the gods. Old Hyrule had been utterly destroyed when King chose to flood it, and I had cleared it years ago, so it should be safe to stay in and it was only a bit northward.

It had then been settled, with the decision made, we began our trek northward. Never had it occurred to me that others would have thought of using the tower. Already exhausted from travel, when we arrived, we were no match for the mighty ambush that awaited us upon entering the holy tower. When we arrived, what appeared to be 20 phantoms (for those who haven't played Phantom Hourglass, phantoms are armored monsters that have colors and weapons that vary depending on how good they are, they had eyes in their backs which served as weak points, I should also mention that except for their eyes, they were pretty much invincible) jumped us. We stood no chance, realizing that Zil and Joel had never fought before; they knocked them unconscious each with the hilt of a large golden ax. I could do nothing but watch as both of my friends fell to the ground. The phantoms carried them inside the tower, where I wouldn't be able to save them.

(First Fighting sequence I've ever done, skip to below if you don't think its worth reading)

They attempted to do the same to me, but I ducked on instinct. Seeing my chance, I launched my body into a roll and spun around the confused phantom. I stabbed him through the back just like old times, and was bewildered as my sword pierced through nothing but metal. I didn't have much time to ponder why my sword was able to pierce through what my legendary blade had been unable to destroy years ago, since I heard something cutting through the air. I waited, tense, and then back flipped. The result was that the phantom that was swinging a sword at me was unable to stop after I flipped over his blade. He tripped over his dead ally, and fell on his sword. Then it hit me, these people weren't phantoms, they were Terminians wearing phantom armor. A few minutes ago, I would have hesitated to kill, but now, they had kidnapped my friends, and I wasn't about to let them off easy. There was no internal conflict, for once in this feud, I knew which side I was on.

Everything was going well, until the arrows started raining down. Evidently, some of the phantoms had experience with weapons other than a sword and shield. I barely managed to dodge most of the arrows, but one got lucky. I'd let an arrow pierce through my arm while I was fleeing. It hurt as if Din herself was trying to kill me. But I couldn't let the pain break me, not just yet. I had friends to save, and if I couldn't, I'd take down as many soldiers as I could.

I rushed back into the battle, dropping my shield as I ran since it was too much of a burden for my wounded arm. Tightening the grip on my sword, I stabbed one, and wrenched my sword out and sliced toward another. One charged me straightforward, so I leaped into the air and let gravity help my sword slice the head of my attacker. I leapt off his shoulders and spun, right into the midsection of another. Then I turned to block an attack from my right, and ducked to avoid an attack from my left. Launching myself backwards, and sweeping at my enemies' legs, I managed to knock both over. I grabbed their swords and threw them, slaying another two of my enemies.

By now, I had killed about half of the ambush, and the toll it was taking on my body was beginning to show. Even before this fight had begun, we had all been exhausted. Now, I could feel my knees trying to collapse and my head was starting to get dizzy. The wound from my arm now made a permanent stain on my blue shirt, and it was taking too much of my focus to constantly ignore the pain that pulsed within me. As I said before, this battle had been lost before it had even begun. Even through all this, I couldn't help but smile, Din had granted my wish, and was now going to let me die before I had willingly chosen which side to participate in the war.

If this is to be what destiny holds for me, then so be it. I'd accept my own death with open arms. Since I had already killed more than 10 men, the remainder of the group received reinforcements. By the time I had fallen, I had killed 24 soldiers and injured several more.

I lay on the ground, giving uneven shuddering breaths. My arm was bleeding severely, as well as several other injuries. Even without the power to stand, my hand still stubbornly clutched my sword. When I crossed over from the realm of the living to the world of the dead, I'd make sure to thank Orca, who had been unable to adjust to the climate changes, for helping me craft such a fine blade. I regretted that it would soon be in the hands of Hyrule's enemies, and my own killers. It's amazing how the mind feels when it knows beyond a doubt that it's going to die, it no longer feels fear, but rather accepts it, and tries to make the best of the last few moments of it existence.

I found that Zil and Joel were clutching my hands. We were being held prisoners within the tower. I turned to the two lads, who now finally understood how much this war would cost them. With my last few breaths, I told them my dying wish…

"Zil, Joel. If this war continues, it will destroy both Hyrule and Termina. Both lands are like home to me. I beg upon you two; make sure that both lands have a future, so that the Hero's death is not in vain…"

With my vision fading, I can barely hear Zil and Joel shouting my name, telling me that I can't die. They're wrong, everything eventually dies at one point, I'm just glad my homes didn't die in my own lifetime. I wonder if this is similar to what King felt like, when he left the fate of Hyrule within my hands, like I was doing now. I hope it was, because I felt secure. I was fairly sure that the boys would be able to do what I asked of them.

As I surrender myself to the void of darkness, I gradually lose everything, thought, senses, emotion, it's all gone. I like to think that my spirit is departing to live within Hyrule and Termina, to safe guard both lands from beyond the grave. At last, I too, have left the fate of Hyrule in young hands, had I been able too, I would have sighed of relief.

A/N wow, I'm surprised I killed him off so quickly. 3 chapters in and the Hero of the winds is dead. This part of the story was probably a bit too short. Anyway, this story isn't dead yet either, since next the story will be from the point of view of Zil. Suggestions are appreciated.


	4. Captured

A/N SPOILER Currently, I'm dealing with a rather inconvenient plot hole, but I can't ask for help on how to solve it because it'll be giving the story away

A/N _**SPOILER**_ Currently, I'm dealing with a rather inconvenient plot hole, but I can't ask for help on how to solve it because it'll be giving the story away. Anyway, after receiving a negative review about how I killed Link too early, I'll just make it public; Link still has a major role he has yet to play in this story, be patient and he'll be back somehow.

If you're wondering why I'm updating quickly, it's a personal goal to have one major story done because I have a bad habit to start something and forget it a week later. Anyway, let's get on with the real story.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

He remembered it like it was yesterday. He remembered his last few breaths, how his eyes had glazed over and a strange smile had found a way onto his face. He remembered that he had given him a job, a duty, one which he was having trouble completing. Today was the anniversary of Link's death. It had already been two years since then, but it haunted Zil, as if it didn't want to be forgotten. The fact that he was gone seemed unreal, there were times when he expected to see him training in the fields, as he had done long ago. He expected him to be at his side when he went on missions, he felt him help him go through hard training. He could hear him cheer when he passed his final tests and was admitted into Hyrule's proud military. To Zil it was simple, Link was far from dead, and he never would be as long as Zil lived.

But the fact was, Zil couldn't dwell in these little fantasies for long. The enemy had invaded and was crawling closer and closer to the capitol. Zil and Joel, the best of the new military, would accompany Commander Sheik and a group of handpicked men to intercept a vehicle that contained this week's supplies to the enemy's army. It was a simple plan but would starve the enemy for a bit longer and aid the Hyrulian army refill its diminishing food supply. This was what Zil had been doing ever since he had joined the military. Joel often stated that Zil had become to gentle by nature, since he wouldn't join any mission that directly targeted the enemy soldiers. He was only willing to attack their supplies, and gently prod them toward leaving instead of forcefully kicking the invaders out.

Zil wondered if Joel still remembered how Link was before he became the Hero of the Winds. Both boys admired him, but for different reasons. Both missed him terribly, but only Zil was content that he wasn't here fighting with them, sending the Terminians out of Hyrule. Joel could never understand that Link had allegiance to another nation, that he would always hesitate before harming anyone who he didn't believe to be worth killing. Only Zil could understand that Link was content with not fighting this war. The others had attacked villages with children no older than they were when Link first left the island. The Hyrulian army knew it had to be ruthless to win, just like Link did. But Link was better than Zil, he had enough will power to be as terrible as a great hero needed to be. Zil could never harm anyone unless he was more than sure that it was morally just. When Hyrule had needed Link most, he hadn't wanted to help.

Zil's thoughts came to a sudden halt once the horses stopped moving. At last, they had arrived where they would intercept the new shipment of enemy supplies. The plans they were to follow were simple, elegant, and sure to work. As you probably guessed, they failed. When a soldier gave a call of warning, it was already too late. Hundreds of spears surrounded the little group, followed by soldiers. The entire scheme had been a trap; there was no shipment of supplies. The Terminian army now had Commander Sheik, Lady Tetra's most trusted commander, as their own prisoner.

No one was killed on the spot, probably so that the enemy army could have more hostages. All soldiers were chained by their limbs to each other, and forced to walk. Even as he walked, Zil thought. If they were to become hostages, and offers were made to Hyrule, they were doomed. The Terminian army had been suffering a shortage of supplies for a long time, but they'd only become desperate recently. Hyrule was in no condition to offer Termina supplies, when they'd worked so hard to starve it. Hyrule could not afford to save them.

"Maybe I'll see Link soon," Zil grimly thought.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

A/N I just found what to do with the Link plot hole so I'm ending this chapter sooner than I planned too. I need to rework some things so that the storyline makes sense so you might not hear from me for a while.


	5. The Heirs Are, Yet They Are Not

A/N New major character introduced in this chapter, and we take a look through sheik's eyes, or eye in his case. A non-major fight also takes place.

The group trudged forward, not knowing what fate had in store for them. The goddesses were cruel. They marched with their feet secured to each other by chains; their wrists had been bound together by rope. Their enemies outnumbered them four to one, and surrounded them to prevent any escapes from occurring. All weapons had been stolen, as well as the meager supplies they had bought with them. The prisoners moved slowly, tired because the sun refused to show mercy to anyone. The commander was being "escorted" far ahead by ten troops all armed to the teeth. There was nothing left for the doomed soldiers to do but pray to the gods. "Look what that did to ancient Hyrule," Zil grimly thought.

Even the scenery refused to humor him. It stayed relatively the same throughout the entire journey. Zil was left with nothing to do except look at the stars, and that even made his neck ache after a while. What was most annoying, other than the boredom and starvation and dehydration, was when the people in the back tripped. Clumsy new recruits often lost their footing in difficult terrains like the ones they were crossing now. Since everyone was chained together by their ankles, they fell down like dominoes every few seconds, causing both armies to stop, wait, and endure the sun more. The guard's were growing more impatient with the youths' incompetence, and probably wouldn't tolerate it without punishment much longer.

It was almost funny, now that he was sure that he was doomed, he could only make little jokes of irony and fate. He glanced at Majora's Moon, to find that; it was quite literally, smirking down at them.

This continued for a long while, until the combined group reached the Terminians hideaway. They were immediately thrown into cells, no more than two per Hyrulian. By luck, Zil found himself roommates with his own commander. Finding that he was too tired to give his prison more than a passing glance, he curled up and fell asleep. It didn't occur to him that he'd miss much.

Shiek POV

The kid's fallen asleep already. I can't really blame him; it is my fault that we are in this mess. I had argued with Princess Zel… I mean _Miss Tetra_, that getting captured to find the location of the ally that she'd only foreseen in prophesy was a bit much to ask of the troops (Sheik is unaware of the dream that Zelda had in the beginning of OoT). I had no information about where this ally was being held prisoner, if this person existed in the first place. All in all, the chance of actually finding this ally was equivalent to the chance of me betraying the new heir to the throne.

The sound of approaching footsteps raises me from my deep pondering. I silently thank my special training and swiftly turn around to see my opponent. The sight that I do turn around to startles me. There's a hooded man with height similar to Link's and mine. I hear a light mischievous laugh as the stranger lifts his hood, showing me his face. I see a colored cap resting atop his head and a tunic around his body. The stranger's clothing is exactly like Link's except its purple. That brought my concentration to his face which was as pale as a ghost's.

There's that bloody smirk again. My hands rest ready to defend myself and my company, it doesn't even flinch when his seemingly solid body disintegrates to pass through the several jail bars that keep us from freedom. The being approaches closer and closer as I back away for more time. I make contact with the wall, now the fun begins. 3……… 2……… 1……… NOW! I whip out the metal chain contained in my sleeve in the blink of an eye, but my enemy moves faster. I feel no contact when the chain suddenly stops moving, and the only way I could have known that he had grabbed the tip was the fact that he was holding it right in front of my face. There's that sneer again, boy is he in for a surprise.

"DONDER(1)!"

His smirking face turns into one of shock, literally, as my electricity spell is attracted through my chain straight into him. The purple freak flies backwards and dents the bars that he passed through moments ago. The body slumps, and signals another victory for me. Unfortunately, the spell took its toll on me too, weakening me greatly. The guy was definitely using dark magic. I turn to my comrade to see him awakening.

"Go back to sleep, nothing happe…"

The kids back to sleep before I even finish speaking; my soldiers need serious discipline training. My thoughts are interrupted by another mocking laugh. Oh for the love of-

I find myself pinned to the wall I had just backed up against, with a slightly transparent blade made of dark magic pulsating in my opponent's hand. I hadn't done any damage except for heavy breathing, which was probably caused by the force necessary to maintain that sword. I narrow my only visible eye. In sheikah law, we have a motto. Always fight with reason, and if needed, fight to the death. I grab the sword made of my enemy's energy and will my nerves to ignore the searing pain I feel. A well placed uppercut to the jaw and a strong kick to the stomach makes him lose the necessary focus to keep his weapon, and gives me enough time to reveal mine: the original kokiri sword(2) used by the Hero of time, now enchanted by his touch with powers weaker but similar to the master sword. A final strike will bring down this foe.

"Het Vuile Dier van het verlof!(3)"

I gather momentum in hope that the force of my weapon and the aide of magic can really put an end to this fight. I lunge, and freeze in midair, the dagger merely an inch from the enemies face. The first thing that comes to my mind is that I'm stopping because I'm afraid to kill, but then it hits me. Freeze in midair, that's impossible. My enemy gets back up, and moves forward, while I unwillingly move away. The smirk is gone, and the purple man seems strangely serious.

"You don't understand it, do you?" he asks, "The blade you're trying to kill me with was touched by the holy hero of time. To kill one who soul isn't held by evil will stain the hero's name with blood, so that sword refuses to kill by countering itself with its own magic (4). The life of this blade is dwindling and weak, which means that the one meant to replace the hero has left this world without facing his destiny, without completing the prophecy of the heirs to the true force."

"What prophecy do you speak of beast?"

"Ouch, no need to call people names. Mine is Vaati."

"I don't have time for introductions Vaati" I say, fingering my now useless dagger.

"You mean you haven't learned of it yet, that you are the heir of wisdom?"

"Do I look like I understand you fool?!"

He sighs, "Very well, the prophecy of the heirs to the true force relies greatly on one line. The heirs are, yet they are not."

A/N The plot develops more in the next chapter

Glorious Footnotes!

(1)Being without the necessary creativity to create a language for magic like those books with Eragon, I simply used a language that already exists. As far as I know, Donder is Dutch for Thunder.

(2)Sheik uses this weapon as a dagger since its kind of small, so that's what he'll call it. Others like Vaati will call it a blade or sword since they have respect for the fact that the hero used it.

(3)Far, as I know, Dutch for "Leave Foul Beast". Note that I use an online translator from . I really doubt that the translation is accurate though.

(4)Basically this means Vaati isn't evil, so the kokiri sword's magic stops Sheik from killing him

Later


	6. Expectations and Explanations

A/N First time we'll be seeing Link from beyond the grave. Yay, he's almost alive again.

Once again, the pattern repeats. Get up, fight, and then fall. I'm putting all my will into steps one and two, and trying my best to avoid step 3, the key word being trying.

"Get up kid."

Being a spirit isn't as great and easy as it sounds. There are pros, like not feeling physical strain or having the ability to die, and there are cons, like the fact that you can't be worked to death, yet you're still able to feel pain. Because of this, I've been fighting every day for 2 years with the hero of time. Meeting your ancient and legendary ancestors isn't much fun, especially if you abandoned the people they worked most of their lives to save, when you're needed the most. Don't get me wrong, the guy liked me, but was intent on making me a better swordsman. In simpler terms, my version of heaven might as well have been hell.

"DIN'S FIRE!"

This is punctuated by the fact that he knows useful magic. I roll to the side and lunge at him with my sword, only to hit air and receive a well placed helm splitter on the back of my head. Once I stop seeing stars, I spin with my blade, only to have him jump up and flip his sword over… oh Din.

The ending blow hurts spirits incredibly. It's a hard sword technique, since the user needs incredible accuracy to land on an enemy from a distance. Most people will usually knock their opponent down before delivering the ending blow because this gives them a wider area to attack, and keeps them from moving and evading the attack. In a usual case during life, the ending blow uses the force of gravity as well as the sword wielders strength to drive a sword through the opponent's body to hit all the vitals. This is usually granted with instant death, but the fact that we are spirits means that the ending blow can't kill us. That doesn't stop it from causing pain though. Since the legendary hero of time is incredibly skilled, it means that he doesn't have to knock me over first.

Few people can do that because it takes more power to reach that height. I did it only once, when fighting Ganondorf, but it only worked because the force of his attack propelled me skyward right above him. Having a blade driven through one's cranium is a very painful and traumatic experience, enough to totally shatter one's mind in the few seconds afterwards in which he survives.

I should know because I've felt it several times. Now I know why the Hero didn't leave any direct descendants.

There are few ways to block this attack, and the ones that exist are far from simple. The easiest is to wear magic armor, which doesn't last long anyway. The next one is to evade, but that leaves you open for an attack. The final and most difficult method is to catch the enemy's weapon by holding your own horizontally above your head. That way, when the enemy's sword comes crashing down, you can use your arms and legs to repel the force of the enemy's sword. Though terribly difficult to do, if done successfully, it throws your enemy off, allowing you to an open attack.

Of course, this is all done in theory. This trick has never been pulled off in real life… or death in my case. That doesn't stop me from trying… and failing.

Practice ended soon after I got impaled. Allowing me to take a break and talk with my mentor/torturer/friend. As usual, our conversation leads to this prophecy he keeps mentioning. Also similarly, he promises to tell me…as soon as I block the ending blow and beat him in a sword fight that is.

_**Meanwhile**_

(Read to understand previous chapter)

"The goddesses of Hyrule created the Triforce, a holy power that enabled the user to obtain the service of the goddesses themselves. That is set in stone. However, we must look at this through a broader perspective. The goddesses rule over only a small segment of the world. There are other deities within this world, the 4 giants, the oni, Majora, the original Picori, and countless others. Just as the goddesses of Hyrule created the legendary Triforce, the giants left the Ode to Order, the oni and majora have their masks', and it is said that the first Picori left the golden light force.

This is where the prophecy begins. These separate forces were weak; the deities needed to create a worldly power that could symbolize all of them together. Thus, they momentarily joined to form a greater power, the holy force. The new power was similar to the Triforce in basic design; it was made up of 3 pieces, each symbolizing a different trait. No one can guess what these traits are, so they are still classified by the same pieces of the Triforce. They made it fate that 3 guardians would acquire the Triforce, and use its power to achieve the newer improved version.

Unfortunately, these guardians were flawed. Ganon wasn't able to keep his hold on the legendary power, and often went beserk no matter how many times the goddesses brought him back. Link was a being of total purity, and wouldn't be able to kill others who searched for the holy force in order to keep its safety. Zelda already had duties as queen to watch over her land and wouldn't have the time to embark on the quest. It was then written that 3 new guardians would be created, being nearly identical to the originals, but having major differences to ensure that they could fulfill their duties.

They heirs are the originals, yet they are not. You see Sheik? An entity of great wisdom formed with the princess, and brought back to life by the power of wisdom, a being of great power that would fall to his own abilities, but be able to realize his fault, a hero who would share the originals name, but would not be just another reincarnation, but a different soul capable of achieving the original's embrace. You, I, and the hero named Link who recently passed away are the heirs to the holy force, because right now the world needs guardians…"

"To stop the feud going on between Hyrule and Termina," Sheik finished.

"Exactly"

"You're forgetting one thing though Vaati, LINK IS DEAD"

Vaati raised an eyebrow, "Shiek, we are about to embark on a holy quest to save these lands. I hate to be the baron of bad news, but bringing Link back will be one of the easier problems we'll face…"

"What do you propose we do?"

To this, Vaati smiled. "Shiek, have you ever betrayed the royal family…?"

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

A/N Sort of a cliffhanger, eh? This chapter was almost sort of boring, since the fight scene wasn't really too dramatic and this was more of an explanatory chapter with few events.

I am unaware if this is the correct song. In Majora's Mask, one song could be used to call the giants to stop the apocalypse, that was what I intended.


	7. Another Army

A/N Finally, A chance to update. Today's chapter takes place in Hyrule Castle town. Also, I may have been calling Hylians Hyrulians, so I'll try to correct that in future chapters. Anyway, does that mean that Terminians are really termians? Someone please tell me. Alright, story time.

The town had become shady, so no one noticed the hooded man concealing his face with a mask. No one noticed how he always walked in the company of shadows, and few took notice to the site of a stranger carrying a large weapon on his belt. That was becoming an everyday sight now. When people saw the stranger, they saw another man trying to sell his goods, who probably hadn't bought a legal license to sell in castle town, since that was becoming less affordable day by day. They didn't see the potential danger the stranger was, but they saw that his mask was unique, and his cloaks were relatively new. Some would remember the stranger as a resource to steal from, while others would see what he had to offer later.

True, the stranger meant business. But the stranger wasn't there to sell.

If the stranger were to be seen today, he would have been taken as fairly peculiar, few walked around with heart-shaped masks with spikes, and no one would want to wear such a large cloak on a day like that. Still, the eeriness of the stranger was no warning to the Hylians who had grown far from the valor that everyone had believed in during times of old. Now, those who were trustworthy stayed indoors in fear of being stolen from or attacked because it was against their way to fight. The war was making the land face darker times, and the golden ages were becoming nothing but shadows of real life.

The stranger walked to the bar, which was the unofficial meeting place of all people labeled by the normal civilians suspicious. The owner wasn't going to stop them; they came often, and drank enough to pay the bills and keep his daughter and assistant fed and well. He wouldn't lie, he didn't like this line of work, but there wasn't much else a former fisherman could do these days. The truth was, he despised the people who came and drank his alcohol. Then there was the danger of handling these drunken idiots, danger that he found himself in at the moment.

"Sir, I believe you've had enough for today."

Zane, the drunkard, threw a bottle at his forehead. Zane was a common sight at this location. He was a conceited fool, who may as well have thought that he was god. The owner, who had been named Talo, would have kicked him out long ago had Zane not been a master swordsman. Zane's friends often joked that alcohol increased his fighting abilities rather than hindered them. His father had been a royal knight, so Zane had bathed in wealth during his childhood. He had been flung out of the castle a few years back for, "flirting with the princess". He still wore long, elegant robes, but they were now black from dirt and not being cleaned. His face was pale because of the large amounts of alcohol that he drunk.

Talo dodged the bottle, and winced when it cracked. It would be difficult to haul Zane out today; since his partner, the man who owned the canon game, was tending to his sick wife (he really had one, but found it easier and more comical to impersonate her with pictures instead of calling her for help). It was then that the stranger walked in.

This turned many heads. It was tradition, taboo even, not to enter or leave while Zane was having a fit. It usually left the violator injured. Talo whirled around and went to assist the fellow, anxious to turn away from the much more complicated problem behind him. He seated his new guest and asked him what he wanted. The stranger scanned over the choices written on the old wrinkled paper he received.

"Milk"

Those who weren't staring at the stranger saw him now. Talo had a look of shock on his face. Spectators outside turned to peer through the windows. Even the ravens stopped picking through the trash. No one ever ordered a beverage without alcohol in it; it was an insult to everyone in the bar. A drink like milk was a symbol that stated that all the drinkers were weaklings. Total silence buzzed in the air. Zane was becoming agitated that this new intruder had stolen the attention of all the inhabitants of the bar from him. Miraculously sober, he stood up and drew a long, slender blade he called throat-cutter. Several others who were more aggressive followed suit.

The stranger looked at all the menacing fellows around him as if noticing them for the first time. He met the eyes of each one, before finally settling on Zane, who was licking his blade and narrowing his eyes to slits, a common sign that one was skilled and threatening. The stranger laughed through his mask.

"Be careful with that, you might cut yourself."

That was all the temptation that Zane needed. He stuck out his sword and charged toward his opponent. The stranger continued to sit at the counter and stare. Talo backed away in fear. Throat-cutter came closer and closer to its next victim. The stranger got up, and began a leisurely stroll toward the threatening weapon that wanted to take his life. He jumped, grabbed Zane's wrist, and flipped delivered a swinging kick to Zane's extended arm. Throat-cutter dropped to the ground and clanged about a few times. Zane backed away from the masked stranger, hissing in pain, his arm limp at his side. The stranger bent forward, and picked up Zane's treasured blade. He removed his mask, making sure that most of his face was concealed by the hood of his cloak, and spit on throat-cutter, before throwing it back to Zane.

Zane was enraged; the stranger had just insulted him in one of the greatest ways possible. All respectable swordsmen refused to commit such a crime toward other nobles. Such an action was usually reserved for dirty thieves. Zane reclaimed his sword with his other hand, and charged once more, failing to see that his actions were futile. The masked man easily sidestepped the clumsy attack, and tripped him. He grabbed Zane's filthy cloak, and flung him into the nearby corner. All the drinkers scattered away, forming a quarter of a circle around the masked man and the hurt Zane, too scared to stay, yet too awe-filled to leave.

The stranger grabbed throat-cutter once more, and advanced on his moaning opponent. Zane must have sensed him there, since he quickly backed up against the walls, eyes fleeting back and forth, probably trying to find a way to escape. It was too late, for he found himself face to face with doom. The stranger laughed again.

"It's become a tradition of mine to show my true face to anyone I'm about to kill," he stated. A hand reached up to his face and closed around the corner of his heart-shaped mask. Slowly, he lifted the mask, finally revealing his true face. Unfortunately, only Zane could see since the others were behind the skilled fighter. Zane's eyes opened wide in shock, and his mouth opened wider to let out an earth shattering scream.

The scream never left his body, for the stranger plunged throat-cutter into his skull.

The greatest insult to a swordsman is to kill him with his own sword. Few people really care about it though, since they're more worried about dying.

The stranger turned around, mask already on his face, as he bellowed out his orders.

"I am Majora, and you are my army. Anyone who wishes not to give their soul to me…"

He waved a hand at Zane's body, which was crippled with ghostly agony.

The others who had wanted to draw their respective swords now took them out, crouched down, and raised them horizontally, as if offering their swords to Majora.

Not a single one dared to refuse his offer. One man remained standing, Talo himself. He shivered, eyes glued to Zane who had always been a strong fighter, and now was nothing but a corpse attracting flies.

Majora stalked over to the counter where he once sat. He stared the young bartender in the eyes.

"I'd really like that milk now…"

A/N Yay, I've finally gotten to Majora's introduction. This will be one of the longest chapters I've written, if not the longest.


	8. Insanity makes the world go round

A/N from now on **bold is characters thoughts **_and italics is thoughts that come from telepathy and other things_

Also, this should be the longest chapter I've written so far, thanks to H-Bomber for consistent reviews and the 4 or 5 people who actually read this. Anyway, on with the story

When asked how to fight a Sheikah, most experts will simply advise you not to do something so stupid. There's an incredible amount of weaponry hidden in those bandages that they cover their arms with, and the Sheikah race is naturally stronger, faster, and more mentally capable then the average man. Those who do fight Sheikah will usually not survive very long. It is even sometimes rumored that their eyes have the power to see through your attacks before you even think of them. Most Sheikah will deny this rumor with snickers or blank looks, but one mustn't forget that the Sheikah are also masters of deception.

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

Sheik's POV

This was insane. This was stupid. This was what I am planning to do.

How in Din's name Vaati convinced me to carry out this plan, I will never know. What I do know was that soon I will either be a hero, or dead. The latter is much more likely, but there isn't time to think about stuff like that at the moment. Instead, I'm busy battling troops, and storming the dark gloomy alleyways of Hyrule castle.

Why am I fighting my own allies? I'm trying to kidnap the princess. You heard right, I'm going to kidnap the princess. Strangely, there is reason to this statement. Vaati's plan was to put the princess in danger, and force the hero's soul back into this world.

I winced as another opponent falls to the ground after being stuck by a blunt piece of wood. Vaati isn't a forgiving fighter; he had been able to slay every single Termian guarding my soldiers in almost no time at all. That was the advantage of dark magic. It was designed with the purpose of mass slaughter in mind. It was true that most people were able to recognize the differences between dark and light magic just by the feel of them, but few actually knew the specific differences and similarities the two shared. I remember once when I had given the hero a long and boring lecture on the properties of magic after hearing him describe dark and light magic as "purple and yellow". Good times.

Normal POV

Sheik's memories of the past were suddenly wiped clean as he barely dodged a spear that could have pierced through a good five men without slowing down. There was only one person in all of Hyrule who had strength like that. Sheik looked up, and his eyes met torso. He craned his neck as high as it would let him, and saw the bottom of Gonzo's chin. During the time between the hero of wind's adventure and the present, Gonzo had become… huge. He was bigger than he already was. Ginormous, gargantuan, gigantic, you get the idea. The warrior cursed his luck. He had been hoping that the giant wouldn't be in the castle today, their odds of successfully storming it were near impossible without him in the first place.

The sound of gasping breath and panting was starting to build up in the room to Sheik's right. Evidently, Vaati had consumed too much energy during the last few fights; he couldn't be relied on for reinforcement. Sheik tried to recall everything he could about Gonzo's fighting style. He remembered a spar that he had had with him shortly after Princess Tetra had found his soul and crafted a nearly exact replica of his body for him. They had been fighting outside the town gates, a large audience of spectators had gathered around to watch the princess' famous bodyguard fight a mysterious stranger. Sheik had won.

Gonzo always carried a weapon several times too large for him to reach his maximum fighting ability. For that reason his attacks were mostly vertical strikes, since he used his height and gravity to his advantage. Sheik withdrew a rather long, lightweight dagger that might have even been mistaken for a sword. The kokiri sword would be useless now, and he only wanted to get quick, light hits since he didn't want to kill his friend. Hopefully it would match the large battleaxe that Gonzo slugged around his shoulder.

The former pirate narrowed his eyes and pointed the head of his weapon at his foe.

"Here I come ya red eyed bastard!"

Gonzo charged at the Shiekah warrior, but Sheik had the advantage when it came to speed. He quickly flipped out of the way of the charging giant. Gonzo's ax connected with the wall behind Shiek, causing several bricks to shower to the ground, and revealing a slight opening that he took advantage of. He spun around on his heel while unwinding the bandages on his left arm, causing three poison tipped needles to fly toward Gonzo. The first one collided with a falling brick and glanced harmlessly to the ground, and the second veered off course and bounced off the wall. The third, however, was aimed true; it soared with deadly accuracy toward the giant's neck.

But luck wasn't on the warrior's side today. Before the needle penetrated flesh, light seemed to rise from the ground and form a barrier on Gonzo's back. When the weapon met the shield of light, it seemed to lose all of its previous momentum, and a large ripple spread throughout the shield as it dispersed and faded, until it was nothing more. This was an enchantment at work, it must be the princess' magic, which mirrored the water and oceans that she remembered long ago.

Gonzo had momentarily given up on freeing his now useless ax from the wall. Poor Sheik was too distracted by the previous magical display that he didn't realize that his enemy was picking up bricks off the ground. By luck, the first one that Gonzo threw smacked into the warriors arm, and wasn't forceful enough to cause much damage. Sheik threw his attention back onto the bandana covered giant, in time to see that his arms had become blurs and that several bricks were headed his way. He barely had enough time to duck behind a nearby pillar, which was starting to crumble under the force of the tsunami of what used to be the large castle walls. Sheik rolled out from behind his cover right before the pillar toppled over.

He jumped toward the giant while dodging several deadly bricks,

The warrior tore the bandage from his other arm, revealing a small strange mechanism that was attached to his arm. Gonzo recognized the weapon.

"THE HOOKSHOT?"

It was too late. Sheik fired and a long hard chain wrapped itself around the giant's fists and arms. A sturdy yank from Sheik's side caused the man to collapse. Sheik jumped as the hookshot retracted, causing the Sheikah to fly downward toward his heavier opponent. He screamed as he whisked the blunt side of his dagger onto Gonzo's skull, sounding a satisfying crack.

At last, the fight was over. Even for a man of Gonzo's size, the blow would have been strong enough to remove anyone from consciousness. The pain finally caught up to Sheik, his arm, numbing from overexertion after battle. He stared at it in wonder, almost shocked by the amount of blood spilling from his throbbing arm. The final attack had caused a wound to open; his arm no longer obeyed him and it dropped his knife. He sat down and laid his weary head upon the pillar that had collapsed during the tremendous fight. He wondered, had the room always been spinning like that? Fading footsteps were fast approaching, he should get up and grab his knife again… but he was tired, just so tired. He'd nap first…………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

(Majora, 3rd person)

He felt the wall, a mere mix of stone and cement. He imagined the swish of liquid cement, each individual stone, cut and shaped earth, he thought of heat to fuse all the elements together. And then gradually, like magic, he drew each from the mix, one at a time. He stuck his finger onto the wall, and pulled it back, and a small string of fluid followed it. When every trace of water had disappeared from the wall, he flung away the string of liquid, which vanished into the dirt as it fell to the ground. He placed his palms on the wall, and willed the sunlight that it had absorbed to leave its prison. As he pulled back, flames and sparks came from the dry cracked, remains of the wall. He stared at the flames, tamed within the palms of his hands, before he cast them aside too, where it quickly disappeared because of a lack of fuel. This left only the stones. He brushed his fingers across some, murmuring to them. Then he slammed his fist into what remained of the wall, and the bonds that the stones had formed broke as they scattered inward. (1)

What had once been a wall was now an entrance. He uttered a brief sigh; he had been warned that the capabilities of a mortal body would not be close to his spiritual ones. He had never imagined in the slightest that he would be this weak, that to disassemble a mere wall would take so long. Still brooding over the loss of his power, he stepped into the castle, giving the great tapestries and paintings nothing more than a passing glance. He almost stopped to muse at a mosaic of the Hero of Winds that had probably taken a year or two to make. Billions of shards of colored glass, placed in perfect detail so that one could see traces of teeth in a light smirk that couldn't have been seen in real life. To him, it was simply a bunch of sand, heat, pressure, and stains.

The bodies of the wounded and unconscious did prove to be noteworthy, he was awed by the precision, how not a single one of the soldiers' lives was in danger of fading, yet none of them could raise a hand in battle now. His amazement was ruined though, when he saw the dying Shiekah, pity. But the body raised a thought, perhaps he could fix him? Such a task couldn't be ignored. He inspected the warrior with the precision of a well aimed arrow. It was obvious that the fighter was suffering from blood loss from his arm, if he lost much more his fate would be sealed. A second look showed that no bandage could possibly dam up the river of blood leaving his body. The conscious man thought a moment; he had never done work on a human before, odds were that the warrior would end up worse than before. Oh well, he was going to die anyway, and practice makes perfect.

The feeling of magic wasn't what he had been expecting when he reached for the warrior's arm. It hadn't been obvious, but now it was quite noticeable. The gruesome scent of dyeing flesh wasn't emitting from the warrior, his blood felt different than what Hylians were supposed to have. Could it be necromancy, the animation of a dead corpse? No, the body was fine; rather the body didn't feel like a normal body. It was likely possession; he'd look into it later. Anyway, since the body was operated by magic, he couldn't do much anyway. He poured some potions down his throat while holding his nose. He was sorry for this man, if he didn't die, the taste of potions would be stuck on his tongue for a long while.

He called for three of his aides.

"You, the one with the navy blue jacket and weird, black hair, what's you're name?"

The man turned his head. "Linebeck…" he said in an unrushed voice.

"Go see if you can find the princess."

Linebeck, where had he heard that name before?

_An old acquaintance, perhaps?_

**Quite random voice in head, don't interfere!**

_Don't be so harsh, I may be able to help you…?_

**Quite means quite fool; the princess is all the help I need.**

He doubted this really, he could barely remember what his name was, what was the chance that he knew what to do right now? He didn't like listening to the voice. It was always suggesting, urging, demanding as if it wanted something from him. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of cursing, kicking, and screaming gradually getting louder. The first two were coming from the princess herself, and the final from 2 large men holding onto her. They almost threw her off onto her knees in front of him. Trying to preserve her dignity, she stood up and glared at him. He thanked the fact that he was wearing a mask; she didn't notice his open mouth. He was fighting the blush that was appearing on his hidden face in vain. Now was not the time to be distracted by… attractive affairs.

"Do not treat our master with disre-OOFF"

He winced slightly; the "princess" had just kicked his aide in his prideful zone. Suddenly, he felt that the princess of Hyrule wouldn't be helping him much…

A/N (1) Some may recognize this as related to alchemy, but much less complicated. In ancient Greece, those of intellect believed that everything was somehow made up of earth, water, fire, air, pretty much just the basic elements. Instead of going into complicated atoms and stuff like that, Majora's powers will only go that far to symbolize a more ancient time period.

I tried to end this on a slightly funnier note…


End file.
